William King, Lesser Horseshoe Bat Reserve

Providing summer roosts for lesser horseshoe bats to rear their young is essential for their long-term conservation. Over ten years, Vincent Wildlife Trust acquired and restored 12 buildings in Ireland, preventing their dereliction and ensuring they remain suitable for generations of bats. By sharing the knowledge gained from this work, there is now a network of protected maternity roosts throughout the west of Ireland, home to hundreds of lesser horseshoe bats each year.

This species is extremely sensitive to disturbance, so activities near these buildings must be minimal. However, witnessing these bats emerge to feed in the surrounding woodlands at dusk is a truly special experience. To share this moment with others during Heritage Week 2024, we hosted an event at one of our sites. Anticipating high interest, we created this short video to allow more people to experience the magic of a lesser horseshoe bat emergence.